Gout Pain Relief

About 1% of the world may suffer from gout. While many people have heard of it and may have seen what it looks like when someone suffers from it, many don’t really know what it is. Gout is a disease that people get when there body has an abnormally high level of uric acid that eventually forms crystals in some of the joints in the body and the surrounding tissues.

Asian with his right foot inflamed due to gout.

These crystals can cause swelling, redness or a purplish color of the skin, along with inflammation, pain (moderate to severe) and an extreme sensitivity to the touch for the area that is flaring up. In some of our other articles, we have talked about the various ways that you can treat gout medically along with some different gout home remedies.

In this article, we want to take a look at some of the different methods of gout pain relief.

What to do if gout is flaring up?

If you are starting to experience a gout flare up, there are several things you can do to help with the symptoms. We do not specifically recommend any of these things. These are just things that various people do to help with gout pain relief

Prescription If you have prescription medication, take it as prescribed to help with relief. This will help to lower the inflammation, which will give you some pain relief.

Over the counter If you are not on prescription medication, an anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen can also help to reduce the inflammation and to reduce the level of pain. Do not take aspirin, as this can cause a worse attack due to changing levels of uric acid.

Apple Cider Vinegar / Honey Mix – You can take two tablespoons of honey, combined with two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. This can be done twice a day for prevention or once during an attack.

Epsom Salt – Take a couple cups of Epsom salt and add to a bath as it is filling. Then soak in the water until it cools down.

Ice pack – Some people have success using an ice pack on the inflamed area, as it can work as an anti-inflammatory and also help to numb the area some.

A Shot – Sometimes, your doctor can give you a cortisone shot. This can help relieve the pain, but cannot be done for long term pain management.

Water – Drinking more water may help to “flush” your system in a way, which could help to reduce the level of uric acid in your body, a major cause of the gout.

Avoid – Don’t drink alcohol or caffeinated drinks during an attack, as they can help dehydrate the body, which can cause even more problems with uric acid levels.

Rest – Try not to use the afflicted joint while the attack is happening and for 24 hours afterward.

Elevate – Keep the joint elevated.

Cherries – Eating some cherries can help, as they have natural. antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties in them.

Baking Soda Water – Mix half a teaspoon of baking soda with 8 ounces of water. Drink several times over the course of a day. The baking soda can help the body to excrete the uric acid better. Remember, baking soda is high in sodium, so if you have issues with sodium, keep this in mind, as you might want to not try this one.

Supplements – Some people have had some success with taking supplements over time, like vitamin B, fish oil, vitamin C, vitamin E and bromelain.

Celery Seed – Mix 1 tablespoon of celery seeds in two cups of water until they are soft. Strain it and then drink half a cup four times per day while you are having the symptoms. Celery seeds contain different anti inflammatory characteristics that might help. Keep in mind that celery seeds are a diuretic, so avoid this is you have kidney problems or may be pregnant.

Herbs – Some people have found success with using different herbs like burdoch, bilberry, alfalfa and other similar kinds. These could help with inflammation and possibly to lower uric acid levels.

Longer term solutions

There are some things that you can do over time that will help to prevent gout from flaring up. These include things such as:

Weight Control – When your body is overweight, it may keep a higher level of uric acid. So, by getting toward a normal weight range for your body type, it can help to bring down those uric acid levels.

Diet – Different foods can increase the level of uric acid in your body, either because they contain high levels of purine, or because they cause your body to not properly dispose of the uric acid in your body. Also, as mentioned before, lowering the consumption of alcohol and caffeine can also help with uric acid levels.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these tips will help you with gout pain relief. If you are interested in other ways to treat gout beyond what was mentioned here in a natural way, please visit our featured article here.